In lathe machining, a workpiece is rotated along a horizontal axis for cutting of the workpiece, typically using a single-point cutting tool. A nearly finished workpiece still requires several machining steps to have material of the workpiece cut away to create the desired finished part. These steps often include multiple passes of the workpiece with respect to the cutting tool where, for example, the positioning of the workpiece or cutting tool is changed after each pass and/or the cutting tool is replaced with another cutting tool having a different shape or size. These additional steps and passes increase the time and equipment needed in creating a finished product using turning operations, which often makes the process of preparing and machining a particular shape prohibitively expensive.
What is needed therefore is a cutting tool configured to cut desired shapes out of a rotating workpiece with minimal machining steps.